IchiHime: Fight! Protect the One You Love
by Aristaeus
Summary: Ichigo is training with Urahara to perfect his bankai.  Urahara believe his love for Inoue is key.The espada attack during Ichigo's training.  Will he be able to protect Inoue?


IchiHime: Fight! Protect the One You Love (Ichigo vs Ulquiorra/Grimmjow)

Disclaimer: This is a purely fan written piece of work. I in no way own or represent any of the characters used in this fiction. They are all property of Kubo Tite.

Author's Note: This story takes place before Orihime gets taken in the anime (though in my story, it'd never happen!). There may be some inaccuracies, and some of the stuff I've written have not happened in the manga/anime; for example: Ichigo trains to master his Bankai and Hollow, which has not happened yet. I believe that doing this would cause him to definitely become powerful enough to fight against Ulquiorra and Grimmjow. Anyways, this is all fan written anyways. Please do enjoy though :D

Also, forgive me for any inaccuracies in the character's actions. :)

---Start

"Inoue!" Ichigo's scream echoes throughout the vast basement, his bruised and bloody body exerting the last energy he could to sprint towards Inoue. Her body elegantly falling, blood rushing up from the open wound in her stomach. Dropping Zangetsu, Ichigo makes a daring leap, catching Inoue's body before it hits the earth. "Inoue..INOUE" he yells once again, shaking Inoue's body. Looking for any signs of life. As tears begin to stream down his face, he stands slowly; letting Inoue's body rest on the ground. He walks over to Zangetsu, grabbing the hilt and violently pulling it from the ground; rocks and debree falling as the sword is freed. "You, I'll make you pay. YOU BASTARD". Ichigos breathing is labored, the tears in his eyes blurring his vision. He turns his head to look at the body of Inoue. "Inoue.." softly escapes his lips. At that moment, Ichigo snaps. Falling to his knees, he clutches his head with both of his hands. "INOUE!" he screams.

"W-What is this?!" Shirosaki takes a step back, "this reiatsu, it's insane!" Finally the overwhelming force of Ichigo's reiatsu gone berserk forces Shirosaki to his knees. Stabbing his sword into the ground for support, he turns to yell at Urahara, "This is your damn experiment! Make him stop!"

"Oh my.." Urahara mutters behind his fan, Ichigo's berserk reiatsu forcing even him to his knees. "Well, I guess it's time for Plan B." Urahara flips the top of his cane open, a red button sitting on the top. Pushing down on the button causes a cage to snap up from the ground, en-caging the wild Ichigo. Once the cage firmly snaps tight, it begins to shock Ichigo; after a couple minutes of which causes Ichigo to finally pass out. Standing back up, the incredible reiatsu now diminishing, Urahara fixes his hat with a sly grin on his face, "Well.. we now know the depths of Ichigo's power, and how to unlock it.." looking over to where the body of Inoue was, a white doll now laying in it's place. Looking over towards Shirosaki, a white doll also laying down, "Oh my, it seems time was up. Just in time, I suppose.."

--

"Ichigo.."

"Inoue...?" Ichigo muttered softly, groaning as he sat up. His body felt heavy. Every muscle in his body felt like it had been worked past it's limit and then some. Grasping his head, he slowly opens his eyes. It took him a moment to recall what had just happened. He remembered Urahara calling him down to the basement, saying he had a surprise for him. Next thing he knows Shirosaki, whom he thought he had under control, was in the physical world. It also appeared that Inoue had been there, but she was unconscious at-- then he remembered seeing Inoue fall, bleeding severely. "INOUE!?" he quickly turns, getting ready to check to see if it was all true or not. What he hadn't known was she was sitting right next to him. His rash movements 'cause him to bump his head into hers, then fall on top of her, "W-what the.. Inoue?!"

"Ow ow ow..!" Inoue closes her eyes, rubbing her forehead. After soothing the spot, she opens her eyes again to find herself nose to nose with Ichigo. "Ichigo, you're all right! Urahara called me over; he explained everything while you were out."

"Well.. would you mind explaining to me what happened? I thought you were dead!" he clenches his fists, staring down at Inoue sadly. "I.. just.. it was so.." unable to finish his sentence, Ichigo looks down at Inoue. He couldn't put into words how glad he was to see her alive right in front of him. Instead, he leans down and gives her a long kiss on the lips, "I'm glad you're alive, Inoue.."

Blushing softly, Inoue gladly returns the kiss. "I don't plan on going anywhere, Ichigo.." she stares deeply into his eyes.

"I'm not interrupting, am I" Urahara blatantly says, standing in the doorway.

"EEK" Inoue jumps at the sound of his voice, knocking Ichigo back onto the bed.

"Ack, watch what you're doing, Inoue!" Sitting up, Ichigo rubs the back of his head, only to remember that Urahara had apparently been behind what happened in the basement. "YOU!"

"Me?"

"Yes, what do you think you were doing down there!" in a rage, Ichigo stands up. His fists clenched at his sides.

"I-Ichigo.." Inoue blushes, turning her head to look at the wall. Ichigo was clad only in his boxers.

"Wh-- Oh!" Blushing, Ichigo sits back down on the bed and covers himself with the blanket.

"If you'd let me explain, and stop being so rash." Urahara, speaking from behind his fan, motions for Ichigo to hush. "As you know, you have a tremendous amount of reiatsu; that is one reason why Zangetsu is always released. We all know you lack control, too. You're rash and rush in, without knowing what to do.." he stops, smiling to himself at the glare Ichigo was giving him; because it was true. "I thought if we could control your use of your own reiatsu, it would be a tremendous help. Especially in increasing your power. The problem with that was we have no idea the depths of your powers. That is where today came in." Walking out of the room for a minute, Urahara came back with one of the white dolls that was in the basement.

"Hey, that's--"

"Correct. It's the same doll Yoruichi used to help teach you Bankai while you were in Soul Society, except I have made a few variations since then. I used these dolls to make a copy of Inoue, and then I used another one to allow Shirosaki into this world for a while to help you train; as Zangetsu did. Any questions so far..?"

"Just one.." mutters Ichigo, looking over at Inoue, who gingerly smiles back at him. "Why did you make a copy of Inoue?"

"I have a theory, that a person's true reiatsu is released during extreme emotional periods. Corny as it may be, I believe your love for Inoue is the key for tapping the depths of your reiatsu. Thus, I concluded that if you saw her in danger, maybe even killed, it would 'cause you to release your full potential. It was a success, too."

Ichigo again stands up in a rage, looking over at Inoue then at Urahara, "Well, you could've told me! I really thought that I had lost Inoue!"

"I'm sorry Ichigo, but it wouldn't have worked if you had known what was going on. We just needed to do it once. Now that you've released your full reiatsu, we can begin training you to control it with your Bankai."

Dropping his arms, Ichigo gives Urahara a skeptical look, "Control it.. with my bankai you say?"

"Indeed. You see, your bankai is essentially your reiatsu compressed and controlled. If you were able to fully control it, your power would be immense."

"And.." Ichigo looks down at Inoue, who stares up at him, but speaks to Urahara, "I could protect Inoue then?"

Closing his fan, Urahara steps closer to Ichigo, speaking in a more serious tone this time; "I believe that if you were able to fully control your reiatsu, it'd be difficult to match. Probably only Aizen, the captain-commander, and those of vastolorde rank could defeat you. The training will be very rigorous though, and will probably take 2-3 months of day-to-day training to complete. If you're up to it.."

Again Ichigo looks down at Inoue, a look of determination and love in his eyes, "Anything to make me stronger to protect Inoue.."

"Very good! Now, I've spoken to Inoue about this as she's mentioned all ready. She'll still be here to visit you daily. After all, she's your muse," flipping his fan back up, Urahara smiles slyly behind it, "it wouldn't be nice to take your muse.."

"All right, lets do this!" clenching his fist tightly, a sense of confidence flowing through Ichigo. He moves over to Inoue, tightly wrapping his arms around her.

Caught off guard by the hug, Inoue lets out a squeak of surprise. She returns his hug, but her face turns beet red as she does. Ichigo had apparently forgotten he was in his boxers still. Despite that fact, she rests her head on his bare chest.

"I promise you, Inoue." Resting his chin on the top of her head, he speaks softly, "I will protect you. No matter what!"

--3 Months Later--

Inoue was walking with Sado after school; Sado on his way home, and Inoue on her way to see Ichigo. She had visited him every day after classes to see how his training was going. On her last visit Urahara- said Ichigo should be done within the next week. Inoue was glad to see Ichigo was working so hard, just to earn power to protect her.

"Inoue!" Sado, stopping, snapped Inoue out of her daze. "Do you feel that reiatsu..!"

Inoue looked around, then dropped her school bag. "It's immense! Who could it be?"

"It doesn't feel like anyone we know, it must be the hollows.."

"But, these don't feel like normal hollows. They're so strong.." Inoue clutched her hand to her chest. This reiatsu worried her. Ichigo was still training, and her and Sado wouldn't be able to take on anything with this much power. In the midst of her thoughts a group of people from the direction of the strong presence screamed, "Sado! We have to go help those people, even if it's too much for us.."

"Right." Sado had all ready begun to run towards the screams, his arm transforming in the process.

Inoue was right behind him, "Hurry, Ichigo.. Please.." Inoue thought to herself, knowing that they were doomed without his help. Soul Society had withdrawn Matsumoto and the others for the time being, and Ishida was still without his powers.

Sado and Inoue quickly arrived at the park, bodies sprawled throughout the area. "Horrible.." Sado mutters, turning to Inoue, "Can you heal these people?"

"Yeah.." she was all ready moving towards the the nearest person, quickly beginning to heal. She had to move as quickly as possible to save all these people. What worried her was the position of the enemy. They could still feel the immense reiatsu, but there was no one around.

"Well, look what we have here. A couple of humans! Interesting humans.." Yammy spoke, dropping down in front of Sado.

"Yeah, but they're so weak.. We may as well just kill them." Grimmjow spoke, floating above Inoue.

"Leave them. Aizen sent us to look for Ichigo.." Ulquiorra, standing in the open field of the park, spoke quietly, the other two shutting up.

"Well, I don't see why we can't have some fun.." Grimmjow spoke, grinning devilishly as he did. "Now, which one should we kill first.." glancing from Inoue to Sado. "I think.. you!" Grimmjow quickly rushed towards Inoue, crashing into the ground.

Sado quickly moves, pushing Inoue away from Grimmjow; the impact from Grimmjow impacting the earth sending Sado flying back wards. "Inoue, go..!" Sado shouts, slowly getting up from the ground.

"Lookit here, a rat.." Yammy chuckles. Grimmjow's impact had pushed Sado directly in front of Yammy. "Rats must be squashed!" raising his gigantic fist, Yammy quickly strikes down towards Sado.

Sado, in the nick of time, raises both of his hands to catch Yammy's one hand. The force of impact cratering the ground around him, "Ugh..!"

"This rat's pretty strong, but not nearly strong enough!" Yammy, with his free hand, lands a powerful blow on Sado's body. Sado, knocked unconscious by the blow, flies back and crashes hard into the earth. Laying there limply.

"SADO!" Inoue yells, running towards her unconscious friend.

"I don't think so, missy!" Grimmjow flashes before Inoue, causing her to shriek in fright. "Your friends done with, so I guess that means it's your turn. Yammy, do ahead and finish off that pathetic weakling! This one's mine.."

Yammy, all ready in front of Sado's body, laughs, "Oh man, this is fun! I love killing humans.." he raises both of his fists, clenched together, into the air; ready to deliver the final impact. Dropping his fists down, clouds of dust rise from the earth, a grin of satisfaction of Yammy's face.

"SADO!" screams Inoue, tears forming in her eyes.

Grimmjow, smiling with an evil grin, quickly adverts to a look of shock. "W-What.. the..?"

Ulquiorra, who had been watching in annoyance, now showed interest as he looked towards Yammy.

Yammy, however, had no idea what they were looking at. "Hey guys, why.. WHAT!" surprise overcame Yammy as Sado's body was no longer where it was. He was, also, missing his arms. Chunks of them lay in the crater where Sado's body should've been, "M-my arms.. what happened..?" His body then splitting apart, vaporizing into the air.

Sobbing, Inoue looked up, also in surprise. "Sado..?" No, it couldn't have been Sado. It must've been someone else. "ICHIGO!" she yells out happily, looking to the left of Ulquiorra.

It was true. Ichigo, clad in his bankai, was holding Sado under one arm, a blood-stained Zangetsu in his other hand. "Hey.." he looks over at Inoue with a smile, gently laying Sado's body on the ground.

"Ichigo!" Inoue yells again, sobbing with joy this time. She begins to sprint, running towards Ichigo. Grimmjow has no intent on letting her by though. He appears in front of Inoue, causing her to fall down in surprise, "Ahh! Ichigo, help me!"

"Yes, Ichigo, help her. If you can!" Grimmjow grins with an evil intent set in his eyes, pulling out his sword.

Facing Grimmjow, Ichigo reaches up to his face, "Lets end this quickly. I don't appreciate it when people threaten Inoue." He makes the motion like he's putting a mask onto his face, both Grimmjow and Ulquiorra watching in anticipation. Slowly a white, liquid like substance forms over the side of his face. Within seconds it forms his hollow mask; his free eye now black with a yellow iris. "Prepare to die." Ichigo's voice also sounded different, almost if he was a different person.

"Grimmjow, move." Ulquiorra pulls out his sword, quickly appearing before Grimmjow to block Ichigo's blow. Zangetsu clashes against Ulquiorra's sword, sparks flashing around the pair.

Ichigo pushes forward, 'causing Ulquiorra to jump back by Grimmjow. Both staring at Ichigo with their swords drawn; labored breathing coming from Ulquiorra. "Inoue, go tend to Sado." Ichigo instructs her.

"Y-yes, Ichigo.." Inoue quickly runs over to Sado, Grimmjow now to wrapped up with Ichigo to notice. Crouching down next to Sado, Inoue quickly starts her healing process, "Please, get better Sado.."

Ichigo faces off against the duo, intently focused on Ulquiorra; he can sense that Ulquiorra's reiatsu is stronger than Grimmjows. It would be wise to take him out first. Together they'll be troublesome, but if he can single them out then he would have a chance. "My move..!" Ichigo shouts, raising his sword above his head. Ulquiorra and Grimmjow both take defensive positions, neither one knowing what awaits them. "Getsuga Tensho!" as he lowers his arm in a swiping motion, a large black wave is released from the tip of his blade.

"W-What the!" Grimmjow yells out, quickly jumping off to the side to dodge the attack, "Ulquiorra, this guy's too strong!"

Ulquiorra, also sending the danger in the attack, jumps off to the opposite side of Grimmjow; with a little more style. Acting almost instantly, Ulquiorra flashes behind Ichigo. Striking down quickly and precisely towards Ichigo, only to have his blade blocked.

"You'll have to do better than that.." Ichigo, pushing his sword up to counter Ulquiorra, knocks him off balance. Stumbling a couple of steps, Ulquiorra flashes back by Grimmjow. "He's strong.."

"No shit!" Grimmjow angrily yells at Ulquiorra. "Screw this brat, I'm just going to vaporize him!" Grimmjow points his hand at Ichigo, a red light forming at the end. "Cero..!" A giant red beam fires directly from Grimmjows hand; a cero. A blast strong enough to vaporize any opponent if hit directly.

"Grimmjow, no!"

"Getsuga Tensho!" Ichigo once again swipes his blade down, another black wave releasing itself from the blade of his weapon. The attack meets Grimmjow's cero midway. For a few seconds the attacks struggle, but Ichigo's Getsuga Tensho scatters the cero.

"N-No!" Grimmjow, enveloped by the getsuga tensho, yells out. "Aaaaaaaarrrgggggggh..!" Grimmjow falls down to his knees, smoke rising from his charred body.

"You fool." Ulquiorra looks down at Grimmjow. "We can't compete with him right now. We must retreat and report to Aizen."

"Fat chance" Ichigo, still clad in his hollow mask, flashes towards both of the espada. His form appears behind them, taking them both in surprise. Acting quickly, Ichigo sends a foot out towards Uqluiorra which strikes him in the back; sending him falling to the ground. "Getsuga Tensho!" Taking advantage of the situation, Ichigo once again strikes down with his signature move. This time, at such close range, Ulquiorra has no chance to react. The getsuga tensho envelopes the espada.

Ulquiorra lays there, charred and smoking like Grimmjow. "Aizen.." he mutters, reaching his hand out.

"Time to finish you both off.." Ichigo, shifting his grasp on Zangetsu, prepares for the final strikes. His strikes are quick and precise, his sword motion much more professional than it used to be. It seemed that Urahara's training had really prepared him. His controlled reiatsu allows Ichigo to move much faster than before, and Urahara even taught Ichigo how to be more professional with his sword strikes; one flaw Ichigo had in the past. The Zangetsu easily finishes off the espada; the blade cutting through their hollow masks and the rest of their bodies. Ulquiorra vaporizes, muttering Aizen one last time. Grimmjow, screaming, vaporizes afterwords.

--

"You've become so strong, Ichigo.." Sado, now awake, looks up at his friend with a weak smile.

"Hey, if I don't become strong, who'll protect your sorry ass.." Ichigo jokingly smiles down at Sado. It seems Inoue did a good job, the majority of Sado's wounds gone.

"Ichigo." Inoue sobs, moving over to him. She wraps her arms around his body, hugging him tightly. Her face pushed into his chest as she sobs, "I'm so glad you showed up.."

Wrapping his arms around her and returning the hug, Ichigo kisses the top of Inoue's head, "Of course I showed up. I told you, I'll always protect you."

The couple, smiling happily at each other, exchange kisses.

--

"Ichigo Kurosaki.." Aizen spins around in his chair, the footage of the battle with Ulquiorra and Grimmjow vanishing, "Could be troublesome.."

--End


End file.
